Escape to France Might be Possible for Roman Polanski
This week, the Swiss courts accepted a $4.5 million bail offer that would allow Roman Polanski to be placed under house arrest while they continue to decide whether or not to extradite the film director to the U.S. for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski has been on the run internationally for decades, evading the law in the U.S., so one couldn't help but wonder how likely or possible it would be for him to go on the run again. Apparently, it wouldn't be all that difficult or out of the realm of possibility.
Polanski hasn't yet been released, and Swiss officials say that the earliest he could be let go on bail is Monday. Once he is taken to his Swiss chalet where he will be under house arrest, he will not be permitted to leave for fear that the "first-rate skier might slip over the nearby border via a mountain pass into his adopted French homeland and escape US justice a second time."
An article featured Saturday in the Times of London talks about the mysterious role that French President Nicolas Sarkozy played in securing Polanski's release into house arrest at Polanski's Swiss chalet. However, the underlying message in the article is that Polanski could very easily sneak over the Swiss border and into France, where he'd once again be out of the clutches of the U.S.
Of course being on house arrest one would assume that Polanski would be fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet to make sure that doesn't happen, and indeed he will. Unfortunately, he will be wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet that is not set up with global positioning system. That means if he would escape and go on the run, the bracelet wouldn't help them track him down.
Jonas Peter Weber, a professor at the University of Bern, said:
"The canton of Bern uses the first generation system. We can only check if the person is at home. If the alarm goes off and no police is in the vicinity , the person will be able to flee."
In summation, a man who has been on the run for thirty years for child rape will be monitored by less technology than is available in your average Apple iPhone. If anyone has a chance of escaping justice, it's definitely Roman Polanski, but if he succeeds he will have to spend the rest of his life on the run and will never again find it safe to step foot in Switzerland. It's a given that he can't come back to the U.S. either, and it probably wouldn't be safe for him to go to any country that is a close friend of the United States.
Comments
It's about the money
If Polanski even tries to flee, the Swiss get all of the 4.5 million in bail. If he succeeds in escaping to France, The Swiss probably can seize all of his assets in Switzerland as well. The chalet is valued at 1.6 million, so if Polanski "just happens" to successfully flee, The Swiss make over 6 million dollars.
Not bad for an arrest and Switzerland sort of looks like they had done something about this guy (rapist) even after years of allowing him to freely roam their country.
And Polanski, if he does escape back to France, will get yet another directors job on a movie for a couple of more million, so he doesn't have to worry about losing the 6 million to the Swiss.
POLANSKI MUST BE EXTRADITED
Mr. Polanski is a degenerate who does not deserve our respect. Polanski fled American justice like the coward he is. Polanski raped a young 13-year-old girl. Polanski pled guilty in a California Court to having sex with a minor. This guilty plea was a gift; given due to his celebrity status, having originally been charged with rape. Polanski raped this young child, after drugging her with alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Despite unsubstantiated defense claims of prosecutorial misconduct, the facts are that Polanski raped this innocent teenager, after luring her to the Hollywood home of actor Jack Nicholson, under the guise of a modeling photo shoot. After first kissing the child, Polanski performed cunilingus on this little one, then raped her committing both vaginal and anal penetration. The illegal carnal knowledge engaged in during this despicable episode was not consensual; as if a thirteen year old could give consent. Quoting Grand Jury Testimony, the young lady repeatedly said, “No!” and "No. Come on, let's go home." to the predator Polanski. Nor was this horrible rape statutory in nature, with the implication that this heinous act was a mere infraction of the law. Polanski was forty years plus at the time of this awful act. Is there anyone on earth that can justify this kind of conduct? One hundred fine folks, who represent incredible examples of moronic behavior, signed a demand for Polanski’s release. Woody Allen, a person who had sexual congress with the daughter of his own longtime lover, Mia Farrow. How about Whoopi Goldberg who declared on “The View,” (28th September 2009) while discussing the Polanski rape, that “It wasn’t rape-rape!” Don't take the "Wrong View!" Polanski must be extradited to face Justice.
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